Published 4:24 pm, Thursday, January 9, 2014

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"Mother's Day" by Darien artist Yuko Ike will be at the Stamford Loft Artists Association New Members Show. It has an opening reception on Jan. 10, 2014, at 575 Pacific St., Stamford, Conn. For more information, visit www.loftartists.com. less

"Mother's Day" by Darien artist Yuko Ike will be at the Stamford Loft Artists Association New Members Show. It has an opening reception on Jan. 10, 2014, at 575 Pacific St., Stamford, Conn. For more ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

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"Montagne" by Greenwich artist Maria Friscia will be at the Stamford Loft Artists Association New Members Show. It has an opening reception on Jan. 10, 2014, at 575 Pacific St., Stamford, Conn. For more information, visit www.loftartists.com. less

"Montagne" by Greenwich artist Maria Friscia will be at the Stamford Loft Artists Association New Members Show. It has an opening reception on Jan. 10, 2014, at 575 Pacific St., Stamford, Conn. For more ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

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"Purity" by Stamford artist Rosa Colon will be among the works at the Stamford Loft Artists Association New Members Show. It has an opening reception on Jan. 10, 2014, at 575 Pacific St., Stamford, Conn. For more information, visit www.loftartists.com. less

"Purity" by Stamford artist Rosa Colon will be among the works at the Stamford Loft Artists Association New Members Show. It has an opening reception on Jan. 10, 2014, at 575 Pacific St., Stamford, Conn. For ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

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New Canaan sculptor Lucienne Buckner's "Ascension," a painted bronze on a marble base, which was sculpted and cast at the Silvermine Arts Center Foundry, will be at the Stamford Loft Artists Association New Members Show. It has an opening reception on Jan. 10, 2014, at 575 Pacific St., Stamford, Conn. For more information, visit www.loftartists.com. less

New Canaan sculptor Lucienne Buckner's "Ascension," a painted bronze on a marble base, which was sculpted and cast at the Silvermine Arts Center Foundry, will be at the Stamford Loft Artists Association New ... more

When faced with a blank canvas, Stamford artist Rosa Colon is not always sure where her paintbrush will lead her, but what usually blooms is a boldly colored flower or a scene drawn from memories of her Colombian childhood.

Meanwhile, in New Canaan, Lucienne Buckner is likely imagining some novel and unexpected pairing of the natural and manmade world, which she will later cast in bronze, adding to her already interesting menagerie of works.

Darien artist Yuko Ike is attracted to the scenes, images and places that are often overlooked -- a small splatter of paint on an otherwise pristine wall or a small, dark alley. When she is through with them, they have been reborn in a more abstract form, often with the combination of ink and paint.

Stamford's Julliette Tehrani also keeps her eyes open to the beauty of nature and soaks in scenes from her travels. When she sets out to recreate these images, they are not always representational, but rather a reflection of her own vision.

Such are the artistic inspirations of a handful of the more than dozen area artists who have been accepted into Stamford's Loft Artists Association for 2014.

This year's class is a large one -- only three were juried in last year -- and it reflects a multinational perspective, since many of the artists were born and trained in other countries before making the United States their home.

"We want to have a broad, eclectic mix," said association president Ellen Gordon, a mixed-media artist who became a member in 2011. "When we are looking for new members, it's very important to us that ... stylistically they are different."

This year's membership swell was attributed to several reasons, including some reduction in membership following the December move from Canal Street to new studio and gallery spaces on Stamford's Pacific Street. There also has been a push to attract an interdisciplinary community of artists. Membership is at 43.

The international flavor of this new class was "serendipitous," Gordon said, but added that she is looking forward to new voices, perspectives and energy. "Everyone is very jazzed up and excited to be part of the group."

Ike said she was excited to be part of a community of artists. "I have always been interested in art and drawing," she said of her artistic talents, which she first evidenced while growing up in Japan.

Most of her adult life, however, was spent working in the corporate world and raising her family. About 10 years ago, Ike, who moved to Darien in 1988, began taking art courses at the Darien Arts Council and Silvermine Arts Center.

"I consider it my second act in life," she said.

Tehrani, too, finds herself with a new career in the arts. London-born of Persian heritage, she enjoyed a successful career as a senior financial executive, before taking up art full-time in her retirement. Painting is a source of pure enjoyment for her, she said.

"My artistic inspiration comes from my love of nature. There is a world of beauty waiting to be captured," noted Tehrani, who is partial to the work of American and French Impressionists. "I am entranced by the dazzling colors of flowers, the magnificence of the skies and clouds and reflections on water."

Buckner, who as a teen moved from California to Connecticut in the 1970s, is a bit more homegrown, but her bronzes are exotic combinations of creatures and everyday objects, such as her "Lobster Lounge" and her "Spawning Couch." A longtime graphic designer, Buckner has been honing her sculpture since 1996.

The past four years have been busy for Buckner, who has seen her work increasingly accepted in area shows. She said she looks forward to becoming part of the Stamford association, as it already is spurring her creativity.

"In the new member show, I am going to have one of my oldest pieces and newest bronze and I plan on making an outdoor piece, which I have been wanting to do," she said.

For Colon, who is involved in several different art groups, it is an honor to be part of the group. "It's just great to have my own space and be involved with other artists who inspire you and motivate you."

Visitors can gain some inspiration of their own, and learn more about these artists' stories and others, through Feb. 2, when the work of all of these new artists will be up at the association's gallery.